Teacher Appreciation Week and More

In turning the calendar to May, you might be ready for new book displays, bulletin boards, or Facebook posts.  The month of May boasts many familiar celebrations like May Day, Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Memorial Day.  But this month is also recognized as

• National Photography Month
• National Inventors Month
• National Bike Month
• National BBQ Month
• National Get Caught Reading Month

Get Caught Reading Month

All these are suitable for book displays to greet patrons coming back to the library.  But probably the one that resonates most with library workers and book lovers everywhere is Get Caught Reading Month.  The Association of American Publishers started this campaign in 1999. It’s now managed by Every Child A Reader with support from and receives support from the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation. This campaign actually runs all year long, with May designated as its signature month.  Organizers suggest these ideas to promote Get Caught Reading Month at your library:

• Set up a Get Caught Reading event in your community and invite local radio, newspaper, or TV personalities, the mayor, business leaders, or other community leaders to read aloud at the library
• Promote your library's book discussion group(s) to entice new members
• Plan an event where children and adults read and discuss the same book
• Ask children to draw pictures of someone they caught reading and post their drawings throughout the library. 
• Remember May is also National Photography Month, so take pictures of people reading and post those photos (with permission)

The website provides teachers and librarians with bulletin board-sized posters of authors, sports starts, and favorite book characters "caught reading" their favorite book. From the website, find posters featuring author Kate DeCamillo, Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi, author Neil Gaiman, and Grammy winner Alicia Keys.  Find more at the button below

It's Get Caught Reading Month

The State of America's Libraries Report
2021 Edition

Each year during National Library Week, ALA releases a publication titled The State of America’s Libraries Report.  With each report, ALA editors look back on the year past with stories about library funding, programming, advocacy efforts, and more.  The look back at 2020 is a retelling of how library staff across the country stepped up to continue to provide library service in new and creative ways in the face of daunting challenges. 

ALA president Julius Jefferson writes “As we assess the state of America’s libraries, we find that 2020 was a year when library professionals answered the call to serve amid multiple emergencies.  And a year when library workers again proved to be essential ‘first restorers’ or ‘second responders.’  Libraries kept Americans connected in ways that brought our communities closer.  Buildings may not have been open, but libraries were never closed.”

Findings

From the full report, here are some statistics that impacted Americans and their libraries in the past year:

• 35% of rural Americans lack high-speed Internet at home
• The CARES Act provided libraries with $50 million to expand community Internet access
• In 2020, America’s libraries loaned 289 million eBooks, an increase of 40% over 2019
• Across 27 states, 90% of voters supported ballot measures in over 100 library-related referenda
• A book club in Connecticut took their discussions outdoors with their “Book Yak on a Kayak” program

The State of America’s Libraries Report also includes ALA’s tradition of including the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of the past year.  In 2020, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck made this list again, as is true nearly every year.  More recently published books on the 2020 list include The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds.  

The full ALA report is a free PDF download. Read more about how the nation’s libraries responded to COVID19, as well as the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2020. Alongside the full State of America’s Libraries Report, find social media graphics and messages at the button below.  Use this publication to help you tell library impact stories--across the country and closer to home!

The State of America’s Libraries Report 2021

All Iowa Reads
Virtual Author Talks 

Beginning this month and continuing through the remainder of this year, all three All Iowa Reads authors will appear in nine webinars open to the public to discuss their books and answer questions from attendees.  The 2021 AIR authors are noted below...

Each author will appear in three webinars hosted by the Iowa Center for the Book staff or State Library staff, lasting about an hour.  Everyone interested must pre-register in order to receive login information; register at the button below.  Attendees will be able to submit questions for the authors via the chat function during the webinar. 

Remy Lai’s first virtual visit happens on May 15th and Nikolas Butler’s first webinar follows soon after on May 19th.  Dates and times with the authors are listed below; register for any of the webinars at the link below.  Thank you for helping to spread the word to local book clubs and for helping to make this virtual author series a success! 

Nickolas Butler, author of 2021 Adult All Iowa Reads title Little Faith:

• Wednesday, May 19, 2021, 7:00PM
• Thursday, September 9, 2021, 7:00PM 
• Monday, November 15, 2021, 6:00PM

Randy Ribay, author of the 2021 Teen All Iowa Reads title Patron Saints of Nothing:

• Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 2:00PM
• Monday, August 2, 2021, 5:00PM
• TBA December 2021

Remy Lai, author of the 2021 Kids All Iowa Reads title Pie in the Sky:

• Saturday, May 15, 2021, 2:00PM
• Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 1:00PM
• Thursday, October 21, 2021, 4:00PM

All Iowa Reads and the Iowa Center for the Book are supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.

Register: All Iowa Reads Virtual Author Visits